Tyra Banks biography

This California beauty, who was made famous as a cover girl model, grew up
in Los Angeles.

It was in her mid-teens that she decided to become a model.
Turned down by four modeling agencies because they thought she wasn't
photogenic, Banks was eventually signed with the Elite agency at age 17.
She moved to Paris, France to model Ralph Lauren and Chanel for a year
before returning to the States and becoming a super model.

By the 90s she began her film career, first landing small roles for
TV such as in the telefilm Inferno and the series The Fresh Prince
of Bel Air playing Jackie Ames.

She move on to bigger roles in films
like Higher Learning (1995).

About this time, her modeling career skyrocketed and her image was plastered
in both print and on television in ads for Cover Girl, Victoria's
Secret, Nike and Tommy Hilfiger.

Her modeling career was so successful she
became the first African-American woman ever to be featured on the covers of
GQ magazine, the Victoria's Secret catalog, and the famous Sports
Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

Banks also made People Magazine's "50
Most Beautiful" list twice, and even wrote a revealing book about her
life, Tyra's Beauty Inside & Out.

She returned to Hollywood in the late 90s landing major roles such as Holly
in Love Stinks (1999), Zoe in Coyote Ugly (2000) and Nora in
Holloween: Resurrection (2002).